Injuries Continue to Mount
The last thing the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators need are more injuries to top offensive players. However, questions abound about who will be in the lineup when the teams meet on Wednesday.
Cole Caufield is probable for Montreal while fellow forwards Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher are expected to be out until later this month.
Forwards Tyler Motte and Tim Stutzle are both questionable for Ottawa. Stutzle is second on the Senators with 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists). The Senators are still without Mathieu Joseph and Josh Norris.
Montreal has a better record on the road (7-5-2) than Ottawa does at home (7-8-0). The Senators are 4-1-1 in December and are tied for the sixth-fewest goals per game allowed over the stretch. Only Edmonton is converting more on the power play in the month than Ottawa.
According to the NHL playoff odds, the Senators (+15000) are tied for 24th in the odds to win the Stanley Cup. The Canadiens (+20000) are tied for 11th.
Let’s check the latest NHL odds, stats, injury reports, and NHL lines for Canadiens vs Senators. We’ve plenty of NHL betting odds for you to consider.
Also check on these NHL betting lines.
Glimmer of Hope
It has not been the easiest of seasons for Montreal. However, there have been some positive results recently.
Montreal is coming off a 2-1 shootout win against Calgary with Jake Allen making 34 saves while Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach scored in the shootout. The Canadiens have just one regulation loss in 12 one-goal games.
That improved Montreal’s record in December to 3-2-1. One of the other wins was also against Calgary while Rem Pitlick and Jonathan Kovacevic netting their first goals of the season.
The Canadiens have been relying heavily on the play of their goaltenders as only Chicago and Arizona are averaging fewer shots per game in December than the 25.7 by Montreal.
The Las Vegas odds total has gone under in six of Montreal’s last nine games.
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
DeBrincat Starting to Heat Up
While some of his teammates are dealing with either injuries or a lack of production, Alex DeBrincat is shouldering much of the offensive burden.
He scored two of Ottawa’s three goals in Monday’s 3-0 win over Anaheim and has three goals over the last two games. He has points in each of the six games he has played in during the month of December.
DeBrincat, acquired in the offseason from Chicago, is up to nine goals and 15 assists. The Senators have won their last five games when DeBrincat has at least one goal. He has formed some chemistry with linemates Shane Pinto and Drake Batherson.
“They’ve been a work in progress, and they’ve been our best line over the last three games. We’re going to allow them to continue to click.”
D.J. Smith on keeping Pinto, DeBrincat and Batherson together. pic.twitter.com/6oHMV7Usnf
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) December 13, 2022
The NHL betting lines total has gone under in five of the last six contests against Eastern Conference teams.
Canadiens vs Senators Game Injuries
Canadiens vs Senators Head-to-Head
Ottawa has won the last two games in the series and scored six goals in each of those outings as both games went over the total.
Just one of the last five games between the teams went under the total.
This is the first meeting of the season. Brady Tkachuk had a goal and three assists while Austin Watson scored three times against Montreal last season.
For the Canadiens, Jake Evans led Montreal with four goals. He has yet to score this season.
Canadiens vs Senators Game Information
- Game: Canadiens (14-12-2) vs Senators (12-14-2)
- Location: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
- Day/Time: Wednesday, Dec. 14, 7 p.m. ET
- Canadiens vs Senators Live stream: NHL.TV
Canadiens vs Senators Betting Lines
Canadiens vs Senators Picks & Prediction
Ottawa is 8-6 when listed as the favorite while Montreal is 12-11-2 as the underdog.
Montreal is 27th in goals per game and 30th in power-play goals per game. The Canadiens’ power-play percentage of 14.3 is the worst in the NHL.
The teams are 27-30-3 against the totals this season.
The total has gone under in 10 of Montreal’s last 14 games as well as in 12 of the last 18 games in this series.
Keep an eye on the injury list before deciding which way to go, but if all hands are on deck, Ottawa adding another home win is a distinct possibility.
The Ottawa Senators are listed at -190 in our Vegas NHL lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Senators, you have a chance to win $53. The Montreal Senators are +165, offering a chance to win $165 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Ottawa Senators a 65.52% chance to win, with Montreal Senators at 37.74%.
Canadiens vs Senators Trends
Canadiens vs Senators Edge
Canadiens vs Senators Results
Canadiens vs Senators Game Summary
